We never stop learning, at any age, in our forever changing world.  In this digital age and the need to keep up with new technology in business, it is important to maintain and improve our knowledge of applications and marketing tools.  In this process, I attended Tamworth Community College last night for a short course,  Digital Business Basics II.

Nic Hinwood, Director of KEO Design, provided us with additional digital knowledge as a follow-on to the first course Digital Business Basics I where we had learned of branding, online tools, the importance of websites and social media for workplace innovation.  KEO Design is a leading digital design agency based in Tamworth NSW and last night gave us the online power.

As established business professionals, we learned how to compile our own “Business Digital Strategy” by identifying our audience, understanding our business marketing influences and learning to create the most appropriate content for our own business.  We were given tips for keeping on track and analysing our business from a digital perspective.

Great tools and insights for us to apply to our digital presence and marketing strategy into the future.  It is important to keep up with our changing world and the concept of marketing our businesses online.  We need to accept our world is changing and adapt our businesses to suit the digital concept allowing them to evolve.

With a very small group of only 7 individuals, we had received personalised business advice in a welcoming space at Tamworth Community College with an enthusiastic trainer Nic from KEO Design.  I would recommend both organisations for improving your digital business marketing in this environment.

The opportunity presented itself to meet other business professionals in a variety of industries with a diverse range of digital needs and business advice for each other.  I was introduced to friendly, capable business people providing unique products and services to our local community in the Tamworth region:

• Cookaburra’s Fine Foods – Barry, an award-winning chef, provides delicious and nutritious home-baked high-quality food at the local Tamworth Growers’ Market on Kable Avenue every Saturday morning.  A selection of mouth-watering delicacies; apple & fig strudels, piroshki, gluten-free friands, lambs fry & bacon, chia puddings with fresh fruit, sourdough, peach pies, smoked salmon & cream cheese bagels, plum & custard tarts and so much more.  Flavoursome fine foods… not to be missed… check it out on his Facebook page for updates.
• Tamworth Remedial Massage – Sophie & Jacqui, respected caring massage therapists, promoting complete wellness through their massage therapy business profession.  Passion and purpose is the strong motivation guiding them to seek wellbeing for their clients, with regular clients endorsing and upholding the overall benefit to their massage therapy sessions.  With their massage therapy staff each having their own unique styles and specialties, appointments are adapted to suit each client.  Their massage therapy services include remedial massage, deep tissue, oncology massage, lymphatic drainage technique, cupping, reiki, reflexology or an unwinding relaxation massage.  See their website or Facebook page for more information.
• North West Agrifinance – Sharon, with significant banking and finance experience, is a part of this finance team that offers specialised financial structure and clear business planning to achieve their clients business goals.  They use a strategy to make your finance easy by using a financial health evaluation.  Making a plan to simplify finances by providing a financial and business analysis is a valuable service they offer businesses to maintain or improve their financial security.  Their experienced team values their clients and delivers proactive finance solutions.  For more information see their website or follow them on Facebook.
• JAMESBUILT Pty Ltd – Michelle, with her paramount of business experience in the building and construction industry, provides Building & Property Services to residential, commercial and rural clients.  A business with extensive skill, paying attention to detail, ensuring quality control, working closely with their clients as they strive for perfection.  Client satisfaction is ensured with projects completed on time and in budget.  If you are in need of an experienced builder, see their website for more information and contact details.
• Inspirations Cafe, Gift & Patchwork Gallery – Leonie, an experienced patchworker, quilter and sewer, operates a cafe and gift shop in the main street of Tamworth.  Her business has a unique and broad range of gifts and homewares as well as high-quality patchwork fabrics.  Leonie holds classes to teach patchwork, applique, embroidery, fashion and craft… for a variety of ages and skill levels.  Inspirations has a relaxed coffee gallery with home-cooked meals and also offer a catering service.  See her website or Facebook page for more information.
• Swanvale Herefords – My family owned and operated business located 30km west of Tamworth, breeding soft easy-doing cattle with high-fertility.  Good Hereford cattle genetics are our choice to produce animals with the most efficient weight gain for age, high-performance carcase traits and structural soundness… the essential components in our breeding program.  For more information, please see our farm business website or like/follow us on Facebook.
• Karen Weller ~ Freelance Writing & Admin Services – My newest business venture providing writing and administration services with honesty and integrity.  I write to convey emotion and connection through my words.  I also bring clarity and organisation to individuals, businesses and organisations, through an efficient and streamlined process.  If you need inspiration brought into your articles to captivate your audience or a professionally organised document or application… please see my business website for more information or see my Facebook page.
• Country Heart Spark – This is my personal blog where I write honest and open stories and bring insight into our personal lives and farming life.  I bring inspiration into many lives through my writing and encourage inner strength.  I also promote the future of the agricultural industry and connect all regions together in support.  You can ‘follow my blog by email’ to receive my new blog posts, see my website and like me on Facebook.

When a group of business professionals get together, with a mutual interest of learning to improve their own use of digital marketing with an online presence… remarkable things happen.  The new knowledge, online tips and business ideas has been beneficial and we all look forward to embracing this new means of technology into our generation.  The world wide web offers us so much more opportunity to bring our businesses into the world of many more people.

Thank you to Tamworth Community College and KEO Design for making this learning experience easy and understandable to put into practice.  Sometimes we just need that little bit of encouragement and a simplified process… to have the confidence in our ability to market our own products or services that we each whole-heartedly believe in.

Take care, Karen.

“Content builds relationships.

Relationships are built on trust.

Trust drives revenue.”

~ Andrew Davis